We've all heard that "breakfast is that most important meal of the day" so one of the most common questions I'm asked about using hunger to help guide eating is, "Should I eat breakfast if I'm not hungry?" I'm always glad when the breakfast question comes up because it's a great example of how this whole hunger-fullness thing works.
As you probably know, eating breakfast is a great habit. Studies have shown that breakfast-skippers are more likely to be overweight. But most studies don't fully explain why. In Am I Hungry?, we don't give people rules like "you have to eat breakfast." Instead we help them understand why they do what they do because ultimately, for any lifestyle change to stick, you need to become an expert in yourself - not just a good rule-follower.
So here are some of the possible reason that skipping breakfast is associated with higher body weight. Hopefully these will give you some insights about your own choices and help you make decisions from the "inside out" about eating breakfast:
- It may affect your metabolism. When you skip breakfast, you're not just skipping a meal. For example, if you ate dinner at 6 and didn't eat again until lunch, that's 18 hours. Imagine what your body is thinking: I'm starving!
- When you go too long without eating, you'll get overly hungry and that can lead to overeating. The reason is that hunger is a physical sign that your blood sugar is low and your body needs fuel. When you ignore it for too long, you may develop more extreme symptoms of hunger, including difficulty making decisions about what and how much too eat. You may also eat too fast to not notice how full you are until it is too late.
- Some people who don't eat breakfast aren't hungry when they get up because they ate a lot at night. That is the issue that needs to be addressed.
- Some people who eat a lot at night wake up feeling guilty and regretful so they skip breakfast to make up for it. When you finally start eating in the afternoon or evening, you're again overly hungry, so you overeat and feel like you failed (again), so the whole cycle repeats itself.
- Some people wake up and immediately jump into their day - racing around taking care of other people, stressed out, rushing to work, slamming down caffeine, etc., never taking the time to notice, much less take care of, their own needs, including hunger. No wonder the donuts that show up in the breakroom at 10am are so hard to resist!
- Some people feel that once they start eating, they can't stop so they avoid eating until the symptoms are really strong. We use a Hunger and Fullness scale to help you recognize how hungry you are (see chapter 2 of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat ).
- Some people say that when they eat breakfast, they are hungry all day. In actuality that can be a good thing because it may mean your metabolism is revving up.
- But some people tried to eat breakfast in the past but felt hungry all day because they ate carbs with no protein.
That's enough for now but my point is, breakfast is the most important meal of the day - but don't just follow a rule and miss the opportunity to explore what is really going on. Take a hard look at why you do what you do so you can make permanent changes and break free from your eat-repent-repeat cycle. Michelle May, MD - AmIHungry
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